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Friday, September 29, 2017

Brockton, Mass. -The Spartans of St. Mary’s (Lynn) won a Catholic Central League title and advanced all the way to the Division 3A Super Bowl last year, but just making it to the big game wasn’t enough for Calvin Johnson.

St. Mary’s star senior moved from running back to quarterback this year and is on a mission, totaling 17 touchdowns as a runner, passer, cornerback and as a kick returner through four games this season, including a four-touchdown performance to lead the Spartans over rival Cardinal Spellman in a 48-8 drubbing on the road on Friday night.

With a mixture of speed, elusiveness and power, Johnson ripped off touchdown runs of 53, 20 and 58 yards at Spellman’s Potvin Field, breaking tackles and bursting through the second level out of the Spartans double-wing formation.

“[Johnson] just has so much ability in terms of how he can run, pass and provide leadership,” said St. Mary’s head coach Matt Durgin. “And then he plays defense and he’s on the kickoff team, so he plays everywhere and he’s just been unbelievable.”

The senior totaled 166 rushing yards and only had to complete two passes for 44 yards, one of which went for a 25-yard touchdown that put St. Mary’s up 20-0 early in the second quarter.

“We just wanted to start strong and send a message and that’s what we did,” said Johnson. “Losing the Super Bowl last year was hard for us and we won the CCL last year but it’s a new year and new year and we’re looking forward to bigger goals.”

Along with Johnson, fellow seniors Marlon Scott and James Brumfield also eclipsed 100 yards rushing as St. Mary’s (4-0) totaled 441 rushing yards in a dominant effort.

“Our backs have experienced and then you have Calvin, who has the ability to score at any time,” said Durgin. “The guys up front played very physical and it was just a team effort.”

When the Cardinals showed signs of life by scoring in the third quarter, Johnson immediately ripped off a 58-yard scoring run, weaving through traffic in deft fashion to put the game beyond doubt.

“Coach prepares us well in practice and this is what we do,” said Johnson. “We have an uptempo offense that can burn teams and hit them when they’re down and that’s what we keep doing into the fourth quarter.”